All of former President Barack Obama’s hard work is gone.
Obama was known for turning North Carolina purple, but thanks to President Biden, it’s turned red.
First off, during the 2022 mid-terms, Republicans were (strangely) quietly successful, and now the legislator has a veto-proof majority.
It appears that North Carolina House Republicans will soon have a veto-proof majority, as a long-serving Democrat from Mecklenburg County, Rep. Tricia Cotham, is expected to switch parties on Wednesday.
The news has been met with outrage from many Democrats in the state, including North Carolina Democratic Party chairwoman Anderson Clayton and House Democratic Leader Robert Reives, who have called on Cotham to resign.
At midday on Tuesday, Cotham had moved her desk in the House chamber to the Republican side, signaling her intent to switch parties. Republican House Speaker Tim Moore has scheduled a news conference with Cotham at the state Republican Party headquarters in Raleigh on Wednesday to formally announce the switch.
The move by Cotham will give Republicans the exact number of seats needed to override any vetoes from Gov. Roy Cooper. Cooper has issued a statement calling the move “disappointing” and urging Cotham to still vote on issues “the way she has always said she would vote when these issues arise, regardless of party affiliation.”
The news of Cotham’s switch comes after months of speculation that several House Democrats were considering switching parties.
The switch by Cotham is sure to have a major impact on the future of North Carolina politics. With a veto-proof majority, Republicans will have more power to pass their desired legislation without having to worry about facing a veto from the governor.
April 4, 2024, was a bleak day, Trump was indicted, and the GOP lost a huge Supreme Court race in Wisconsin. But at least in North Carolina, there was a little ray of sunshine.
